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Following is a transcript (English portion) of the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr John Tsang, speaking to the media after attending the luncheon organised by Asia Society Hong Kong Centre today (January 6):
Reporter: ﷿ until April, if you would have to pick two crucial points, two crucial sticking points, which ones would you choose?
SCIT: I think the major issue we have to deal with now is still agriculture. Agriculture is still a key issue and I have always said that this is the key that could unlock the rest. You may have seen in the Hong Kong Declaration that it is very clearly indicated that the extent of opening up, the extent of market access in agriculture needs to be commensurate with that in industrial tariffs. So there is a linkage. There are already. So we need to resolve some of the issues in agriculture, get a clear formula out of that. And then we can go right into the industrial tariffs, (market) opening up. We have already agreed to, as you know, the Swiss formula. So the key now on that is to identify the extent or the relationship between the two coefficients and once we have that, I think we can pretty much sail to our shore.
Reporter: Can you confirm rumours that you will be stepping down, leaving your post very soon?
SCIT: I have just answered the question that anything speculative I will not comment now.
Reporter: Could you describe your duties in your next position?
SCIT: What is the next position?
Reporter: Chief Executive﷿s Office.
SCIT: That falls in the category of speculation and I do not comment on speculations.
Reporter: What is the agenda between now ﷿?
SCIT: We need to try to achieve full modalities in all the remaining areas, particularly in agriculture which is now linked quite directly with the industrial tariffs as well as services. So we will be mainly working on these three areas and mopping up the rest of the things in rules and development.
Reporter: Will there be another ministerial meeting?
SCIT: The next informal ministerial meeting will take place in Davos on the side of the World Economic Forum. It will take place sometime towards the end of January.
Reporter: How many ministers will attend?
SCIT: I don't know the list. I haven't seen the list. But in the past they usually invited about 30 to 40 ministers to the meeting.
Reporter: After that will there be another ministerial meeting?
SCIT: No one has volunteered yet. But I assume there will be soon.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Friday, January 6, 2006
Issued at HKT 17:13
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